Read article The larynx
This page tells you about the larynx. You can find information below about
The larynx
The larynx is another name for the voice box. It is a tube about 2 inches (5cm) long in adults. The larynx sits at the entrance of the windpipe (trachea) in the neck, in front of the food pipe (gullet or oesophagus).
The larynx is where the breathing and digestive systems separate. When you breathe in, air travels through your mouth, larynx, windpipe (trachea), and then into your lungs. When you swallow, a part of the larynx called the epiglottis closes tightly over your airway. This stops food and saliva going into your lungs. When the epiglottis is closed, food and drink can go down your food pipe and into your stomach.
The vocal cords are two bands of muscle that form a V shape inside the larynx. These vibrate together when air passes between them. This produces the sound of your voice.
The parts of the larynx
The larynx is made of several pieces of a smooth, shiny tissue called cartilage. The cartilage is surrounded by fibrous tissue. The largest cartilage of the larynx is the Adam’s apple. This the lump in the front of your neck. The proper name for this is the thyroid cartilage.
The lymph nodes
Like all other parts of the body, the area around the larynx contains lymph nodes. These are often removed during cancer surgery and examined to see if they contain any cancer cells.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About laryngeal cancer section.
The larynx is another name for the voice box. It is a tube about 2 inches (5cm) long in adults. It sits at the entrance of the windpipe (trachea) in the neck and in front of the food pipe. The food pipe is also called the gullet or oesophagus.
The larynx
- Protects your windpipe during swallowing
- Allows the air you breathe in to reach the lungs
- Produces sound for speaking
The larynx is the place in your body where the breathing and digestive systems separate. When you breathe in, air travels through your mouth, larynx, windpipe (trachea), and then into your lungs.
When you swallow, a part of the larynx called the epiglottis closes tightly over your airway. This flap of cartilage stops food and saliva going into your lungs. When the epiglottis is closed, food and drink can go down your food pipe (oesophagus) and into your stomach.
The vocal cords are two bands of muscle that form a V shape inside the larynx. These vibrate together when air passes between them. This produces the sound of your voice.
The larynx is made of several pieces of a smooth, shiny tissue called cartilage. The cartilage is surrounded by fibrous tissue. The largest cartilage of the larynx is the Adam’s apple. This is the lump in the front of your neck. This is often much easier to see in men than women. The proper name for this is the thyroid cartilage.
There are 3 main parts to the larynx. These parts are
- The supraglottis – the area above the vocal cords that contains the epiglottis cartilage
- The glottis – the area around the vocal cords and the area surrounding them
- The subglottis – the part below the vocal cords, containing the cricoid cartilage that continues down into the windpipe
Cancer can develop in any or all of these parts of the larynx.
The hypopharynx is at the lower end of the pharynx. It is the space just behind the larynx. The pharynx is the space that connects the back of the nose to the windpipe. The hypopharynx helps push food into the foodpipe and not into the windpipe when we swallow. Cancer can develop in the hypopharynx.The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of cancer of the larynx. Treatment is also often the same.
Like all other parts of the body, the area around the larynx contains lymph nodes. These are also called lymph glands. They are small bean shaped glands that are part of the lymphatic system. They help to control infection by filtering anything foreign to the body out of the lymphatic fluid, including bacteria and viruses.
The lymph nodes are often the first place that cancer cells reach when they break away from a tumour. So they are often removed during cancer surgery and examined closely to see if they contain any cancer cells. Doctors take into account whether cancer cells are in the lymph nodes when they are finding out the stage of the cancer. The stage of your cancer helps doctors to decide on the most suitable treatment for you. There is more about the lymph glands and the lymphatic system in CancerHelp UK.
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